A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF BUILDING INFORMATION MODELING (BIM) INTEGRATION IN INDUSTRIALIZED BUILDING SYSTEMS (IBS): TRENDS, GAPS, AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS

Abstract

This bibliometric analysis investigates the integration of Building Information Modelling (BIM) within Industrialised Building Systems (IBS), focusing on research trends, knowledge gaps, and potential future directions. As construction and engineering fields increasingly adopt BIM for its efficiency and sustainability benefits, understanding its application in IBS becomes essential for advancing digital construction. Despite significant research on BIM and IBS separately, there is a limited comprehensive analysis of their combined application. This study addresses this gap by analyzing 1,559 relevant publications retrieved from the Scopus database, using Scopus Analyzer and VOSviewer software to examine co-authorship patterns, keyword co-occurrences, and citation networks. The findings reveal a substantial increase in research output on BIM-IBS integration over the past decade, particularly post-2018, with contributions from various countries, led by the United States, China, and the United Kingdom. Popular research themes include BIM's role in project management, sustainability, and emerging technologies like augmented reality and machine learning, highlighting a shift towards advanced, digitalized construction practices. Additionally, keyword analysis emphasizes the growing interest in interoperability and the integration of IoT within BIM-IBS frameworks. The results point to a well-developed but evolving field, with key areas for future research focused on improving data exchange, enhancing system interoperability, and expanding AI-driven applications in IBS. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the current research landscape, supporting researchers and industry practitioners in identifying collaboration opportunities and setting priorities for further innovation in BIM-integrated IBS practices.